United Thread - 2023/24

[johnevans]

A pedant writes: It was not Bader who had the unmentionable dog; it was Guy Gibson, of Dambuster fame.

On a tangent, my Great Uncle Harry also had an unmentionable dog. No one realised at the time.

You just took me back to the early 70s and a student girlfriend of mine whose Dad and family were stationed at RAF Scampton.

I remember talking in the local boozer with her Dad about the Dambusters' squadron based there and the subsequent film, when I was introduced to him when visiting my girlfriend.

A propos of nothing, I threw into the conversation how, at that point in time (1973), 'you could no longer get away with' naming a pet dog as Guy Gibson had and how my school/university mates from the Caribbean and the like would be offended etc. All I got in return was blank looks saying 'What do you mean?'

Obviously I didn't explain myself fully to aid former girlfriend's Dad's understanding.

Either that or he was a racist twunt (..which he actually was!)

As for Douglas 'Drat this gammy leg' Bader, well he'd definitely improve The Red Filth's midfield mobility.. to say it's static is an understatement!

 

[johnevans]

He did. "Reach for the Sky". Great film

I remember reading the book on which it was based a couple of times as a kid, by Paul Brickhill, the Aussie pilot who also wrote 'The Dambusters' and 'The Great Escape'.

'Drat this gammy leg!' (whacks it with walking stick or golf club or whatever is at hand..)

Definitely improve United's midfield!

 

[City Hobgoblin]

The wannabe future MIB boy band.

View attachment 112241

"Yes, we are all individuals!"

 

[ChicagoBlue]

A pedant writes: It was not Bader who had the unmentionable dog; it was Guy Gibson, of Dambuster fame.

On a tangent, my Great Uncle Harry also had an unmentionable dog. No one realised at the time.

The dog has its own Wiki page, and its name was not uncommon or particularly noteworthy at the time. Like many things, offence was later created from it, to the point of ignoring historical significance in favor of political correctness of the day…

The dog died on 16 May 1943, the day of the famous "Dambusters" raid, when he was hit by a motorist. He was buried at midnight while Gibson was leading the raid.

The dog’s name was the codeword Gibson used to confirm the breach of the Möhne Dam.

In July 2020 the headstone was replaced, with his name removed. The RAF said it "did not want to give prominence to an offensive term that went against its ethos".[3]

In 2023, the RAF's request for listed building consent to move the dog's grave to another airbase was refused.[4]

smh

 

[BamberBridgeBlue]

So The Scum are after Jason Wilcox as their Director of Football having spent 11 years with us and knows Omar Berrada well.

Immitation is the highest form of flattery.

 

[lefty goldblatt]

And his unmentionable dog!

Dwight Yorke liked his post, 20odd years ago

 

[TinFoilHat]

So The Scum are after Jason Wilcox as their Director of Football having spent 11 years with us and knows Omar Berrada well.

Immitation is the highest form of flattery.

Natalie Pike was on Fighting Talk this weekend. She ripped into the Irish Rag on there about how the scum want to be like us so much they are changing their home kit to sky blue and white.

 

[Mr Kobayashi]

The dog has its own Wiki page, and its name was not uncommon or particularly noteworthy at the time. Like many things, offence was later created from it, to the point of ignoring historical significance in favor of political correctness of the day…

The dog died on 16 May 1943, the day of the famous "Dambusters" raid, when he was hit by a motorist. He was buried at midnight while Gibson was leading the raid.

The dog’s name was the codeword Gibson used to confirm the breach of the Möhne Dam.

In July 2020 the headstone was replaced, with his name removed. The RAF said it "did not want to give prominence to an offensive term that went against its ethos".[3]

In 2023, the RAF's request for listed building consent to move the dog's grave to another airbase was refused.[4]

smh

It probably wasn't considered offensive because there weren't many black people in the UK.

Did it ever really have an innocent meaning though? Enid Blyton's three little Golliwogs was first published the following year. One of the title characters had the same name.

Not sure it was ever really innocent.

Although TBF, naming dogs that was better than having racially segregated regiments.

 

[malg]

I see the thread has once again fucked off on a tangent......

Maybe it just shows how irrelevant they are that we can't stay on topic

 

[malg]

Fuck it, I'm bored

On the Tent Peg thread just after he was announced......I wonder what he thinks now??




To the next incumbent, well maybe, Liverpool might beat them to him...

 

[remember arthur mann]

You never heard of Douglas Bader? Philistine!

Course we have, a mate of that Meinhof bloke.

 

[mcfc_ms]

 

[ChicagoBlue]

It probably wasn't considered offensive because there weren't many black people in the UK.

Did it ever really have an innocent meaning though? Enid Blyton's three little Golliwogs was first published the following year. One of the title characters had the same name.

Not sure it was ever really innocent.

Although TBF, naming dogs that was better than having racially segregated regiments.

History has a way of distorting “innocent.”

Slavery was once as normal as it is considered abhorrent now, but we don’t get to go back and change history. It is there to learn from and, hopefully, improve upon.

Sadly, the once popular method of “acknowledging, while not repeating” appears to be trying to be accomplished by erasing any history today’s politically correct snowflakes deem objectionable.

Maybe we should demolish the pyramids in Egypt? I heard they were built by slave labour!

The dog’s name was not even unique in the annals of well-known dogs, but we acknowledge the name is probably not appropriate today, even though the race that finds it objectionable appears to like to use it as frequently as possible.

Regardless, removing the dog’s tombstone because of its name is petty and overly officious, in my humble opinion.

And, fwiw, I feel exactly the same way about Confederate statues in the USA, even though as a “Yankee” I’m glad the South was defeated, of course.

The older I get, the more appreciation I have for history and the greater context I have obtained for both world history and my own.

 

[give it to gordon]

Sky just said Jason Wilcox has resigned at Southampton. Southampton arent impressed with the rags

 

[bluemc]

The rags are desperately trying to morph into the thing they claim to hate......

 

[Blue and Proud]

Hearing that Rags are bringing in Jason Wilcox from Southampton. Another ex-City employee, they just want to be us.

 

[discopop]

Didn't Kenneth Moore play him in a film about Bader's life?

Kenneth Moore also went on to play Dave Whelan in the biopic of that infamous Wembley game a bit like Dave he never told anyone about it.

 

[Blue and Proud]

They started by buying our transfer targets, that didn’t work so now they want our ex employees. Still won’t work because they are a joke of a club with no original idea how to move forward other than just copy City.

 

[give it to gordon]

They started by buying our transfer targets, that didn’t work so now they want our ex employees. Still won’t work because they are a joke of a club with no original idea how to move forward other than just copy City.

Why copy City we represent everything that's bad and wrong with football

 

[citizen_maine]

Why copy City we represent everything that's bad and wrong with football

but we're fucking good at it!